No Other Love
by stormcallsthestorm
Summary: Gintoki dotes on Tae, and she looks up to him as her hero. As she grows up, her admiration for Gintoki blossoms into love. Gintoki, on the other hand, is amazed to see the feisty yet adorable little girl he used to shower with brotherly love turn into a beautiful young woman. Will they ever have the courage to cross the line between friends and lovers?
1. Chapter 1

An alternate universe GinTae love story set in modern-day Tokyo. It includes multiple pairings.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. The genius Sorachi Hideaki-sensei owns this awesome story! :D

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 **A/N:** First of all, I would like to thank MugetsuLM for the story prompt suggestion. I am not yet done with my first fan fic, but I couldn't help myself writing about young Tae and teenage Gin. This will probably take about more or less than eight chapters.

Apologies for the OOCness and clichés. ;D

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Chapter 1

 **Kids Say the Darnedest Things**

"You may now kiss the bride," the priest happily instructs the couple in front of him.

The whole church falls silent as they anticipate the bride and groom to seal their vows of eternal love with a kiss. When the silver perm groom's lips meet with his beautiful bride's, the whole congregation erupts with loud applauses and cheers.

"They just look so good together," sighs one of the women in a multitude of well-wishers.

"It's like a match made in heaven," sobs another one in the crowd.

The little brown-eyed girl beside them just stands there bewildered with everything that's happening around her.

# # #

At the venue of the wedding reception, the newlyweds and their families welcome the guests.

"Congratulations, Oboro and Himeko!" greets Shimura Ken to the newlyweds.

"Thank you very much, Uncle Ken."

"Of course, congratulations to my dear friend, Shouyou! You are now one step closer to becoming a grandfather, eh? Hahaha!" remarks Ken as he hugs his best friend.

"Yes, and I am already excited to see more kids running around the house. We'll, that is, if they visit me often, you know... I'm sure Sanako would be very happy to see her only son have a family of his own," Shouyou says as he wistfully looks at his son and his daughter-in-law.

While the two men are conversing with the newlyweds, a teenage boy with a silver perm appears carrying a sleeping four-year-old boy on his arms while a brown-haired little girl of about six years old trails behind him, holding onto his pants.

"Gin-niichan, please carry me, too!" protests the young girl.

"No, Tae-chan! You and Shin-chan are too heavy! Come on, let's just sit over here."

"My feet are hurting, and I am very hungry. This dress is so hot. It makes me itchy!"

"It's your fault for wanting to be the flower girl! Just wait, food will be served soon. I can't wait for the dessert!"

Looking at the newlyweds, Tae asks, "Gin-niichan, why did Oboro-niisan marry Himeko-neesan?"

"Huh? Oh, well, it's because they love each other. People get married because they want to be with the person they like... errr... love."

"Really?! You will be with the person you like if you marry them?"

"Yes, of course, you have to."

"Then, I will marry Gin-niichan when I grow up! I like Gin-niichan! I want to be with Gin-niichan so that we can play video games together every day... and you will always make strawberry pancakes for me," exclaims Tae.

"Hahahaha! So you want to marry your Gin-niichan when you grow up, Tae-chan? asks Shouyou as he and Ken approach the table where the kids are sitting.

"Yes, Uncle Shouyou! Gin-niichan is very cool. He's good at games. He always beats the zombies and amanto! He also makes delicious strawberry pancakes and always lets me and Shin-chan eat Bargain Dash. His room is very messy, but I like him. Gin-niichan, you will marry me, right?"

Gintoki, also known as Gin-niichan to the kids, blushes. "Tch! What you need is a babysitter, not a husband, Tae-chan! You are very troublesome... always following me around and crying, 'Gin-niichan! Gin-niichan!' Geez!" Gintoki says as he shakes his head.

Everybody laughs as Tae punches Gintoki on his leg. Ken takes the still sleeping Shinpachi from Gintoki, and settles on one of the chairs.

"Gintoki, looks like you're spoiling my kids very much, especially this little girl," Ken winks at the still blushing silver perm teenager.

"Oh, here are Kankou and Kamui!" exclaims Ken as he waves at the approaching man with a young boy in a tow.

"Best wishes, Oboro and Himeko!" says Kankou.

"Thank you very much, Uncle Kankou," reply the newlyweds as they bow to their well-wisher.

"How is Kouka?" asks Shouyou.

"She's with Kagura. She's still not feeling well, so Kamui and I just left the girls at home."

"I hope Kouka feels better soon," Ken says thoughtfully.

"Tae-chan!" waves the smiling vermilion-haired boy at Tae.

"Kamui-kun! Where is Kagura-chan and Aunt Kouka?" He takes Tae's right hand and squeezes them hard. Hurt and pissed off, Tae smacks Kamui on the head and pulls his braids.

"Stop it, you brats!" Gintoki grabs Tae as Kamui prepares to punch the girl.

"He squeezed my hand! That naughty Kamui! I will never talk to you again!"

"She hit me on the head," complains the blue-eyed boy.

"You two always fight! Kamui, didn't your Mami tell you not to hit girls?"

"She's not a girl. She's a mountain gorilla!" retorts Kamui.

Gintoki can't help but laugh. After all, he is the one who first called Tae a mountain gorilla. Kamui must have heard him say that to her one time she pissed the little girl off and bit him on his left ear.

"Apologize to her!" Kankou tells his son.

"No way!" shouts Kamui.

"Idiot!" snarls Tae.

"Tae, a girl should never say such things!" Ken reprimands her daughter.

"I'm sorry, Ken. My boy is just a bit stubborn," Kankou apologizes.

"It's okay. I'm sorry, too, if my girl is a bit sharp-tongued. Well, they're kids after all," Ken says as he scratches his head with his free hand. Shinpachi remains asleep despite of the ruckus that happened between his sister and the Yato boy.

"You two have feisty kids. Good thing my Oboro and Gintoki get along very well, and I never had to assume the role of a referee whenever we're together," Shouyou quips with his signature smile.

"Gin-niichan, I hate Kamui!" sulks Tae as she returns to her seat beside Gintoki.

"Geez, whenever you two meet, it feels like watching a UFC fight."

"I don't know why he likes teasing and hitting me."

"Maybe he likes you?" teases Gintoki.

"Huh?" Tae's brown eyes widens in shock. Then, she shakes her head violently. "I hate him! He's not like you... He's very bad!"

"Hahaha! Oi, Tae-chan, food is ready. Let's go to the buffet table and grab something to eat. Tell me what you want, and I'll just get it for you, okay?" Gintoki ruffles her brown locks. She looks up and meets his gaze with a smile.

"Yay! You are very kind, Gin-niichan! I will really marry you when I grow up."

"Hahaha! Stop it, already! It's becoming creepy. Besides, you are still very young to think about that."

"You don't want to be with me when I grow up?" Tae's beautiful smile turns into a grimace.

"Hahaha! Hey, let's just talk about it when you grow up, okay?" Gintoki beams at the little girl, and she nods as she flashes her beautiful smile. Together, they walk hand-in-hand toward the buffet table. "Kids really say the darnedest things _,"_ Gintoki mumbles to himself.

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 **A/N:** Chibi Tae is sure a precocious kid, and teenage Gintoki is such a doting big brother, just like how he is to Kagura and Shinpachi, albeit lowkey. While writing this, I remembered how Gintoki takes care of Kanshichiro Hashida in chapters 77-80 or episodes 50-51. Meanwhile, the talk between Gintoki and Tae about marriage was inspired by a conversation between my mom and my youngest brother when he was still a toddler. He said that he would marry one of our aunts because he didn't want her to be alone when she grows old. Kids really say the darnedest things. XD

Thank you very much for reading. Reviews will be very much appreciated! The next chapter will be up soon! ;D


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I'm dropping a chapter before the week ends... Thank you so much for the follows, faves, and reviews. :D

Today is the showing of Gintama Live Action in Japan, and I'm so happy yet jealous of the Japanese fans at the same time. My friends and I still have to wait for less than a month before we can watch it. I'm looking forward to GinTae moments in the movie. Shun Oguri and Masami Nagasawa look good together as GinTae, don't they? I love the whole cast, actually. Let's support the movie, and I hope that it will be a blockbuster so that we'll have a sequel, and of course hoping for more GinTae scenes. :D

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Chapter 2

 **From Tears to Smiles**

When Gintoki was six years old, he lost both of his parents to a tragic car accident. Since then, he is living with his Uncle Shouyou, his cousin Oboro, and his Aunt Otose, who are the only living family he has. Shouyou's wife, Sanako, died five years ago. Otose, Shouyou's sister-in-law, helps him in raising Oboro and Gintoki. With Otose's good homemaking skills and Shouyou's unique brand of discipline, the two boys are able to live a comfortable life. Despite his busy schedule as a high-profile nuclear physicist who is gaining a lot of popularity for his groundbreaking research on an alternative energy source called altana, Shouyou makes sure to find time to spend with his son and nephew.

Living beside the Yoshida residence is the Shimura family. Ken Shimura has two children – Tae and Shinpachi. Ken is a kenjutsu master who runs the Kadoukan Dojo. Shouyou and Ken have been best friends and neighbors since they were young. In fact, both are kenjutsu masters who were taught by Ken's father. Just like his best friend, Ken also lost his wife while she was giving birth to Shinpachi. His job as a kenjutsu master often takes him to other places, so he often leaves his children to his sister-in-law, Haruko. However, when Haruko is not around, he often leaves his children to the Yoshida family who has grown fond of Tae and Shinpachi.

Since Oboro left to study agriculture in Tohoku and later on, in the US, Gintoki has always been alone in the Yoshida house with Otose. Being an orphan and with Oboro gone to attend university, Gintoki has always longed for younger siblings, especially a sister. This longing has been filled by the Shimura siblings.

Across the Yoshida house lives the Yato family consisting of husband and wife Kankou and Kouka and their children Kamui and Kagura. Also living with them is Kankou's brother, Abuto. The Yato clan owns a large umbrella factory in Kabukicho. Since these umbrellas are sold worldwide, Kankou travels around the world. The mistress of the Yato household, Kouka, has been suffering from a mysterious illness. Being of the same age, Kamui and Tae have become playmates, but their aggressive nature turns every playtime between the two into a martial arts tournament in just a few minutes.

Gintoki's kindness and fondness for children have drawn the Shimura siblings closer to him. Knowing how lonely it is not to have parents to look after you, Gintoki always makes sure that the Shimura kids are having fun whenever they visit the Yoshida home or when he visits them in their home.

Gintoki remembers the time when Tae became very attached to him. Two years ago, when he was 12 and Tae was only four years old, the little girl was crying after her father left her and Shinpachi again for the nth time at the Yoshida home.

"Tae-chan, don't worry. Your father will be back in the afternoon, so don't cry anymore. Aunt Haruko is sick, so she can't be here. Look at Shin-chan, he is just very cool with it. Right, Shin-chan?" said Otose as she tried to console the crying little girl. Baby Shinpachi was in a small crib drinking his milk.

"Chichi-ue… Huhuhu… He… he…" Tae tried to speak in between sobs, gasping for breath.

"Hey, Gintoki, look after Tae-chan while I get her a glass of water. Poor little girl… " Otose shook her head as she went to the kitchen.

Gintoki exactly knew how heartbreaking it is for a child to be left alone by his or her parents, except that in this case, her father would definitely come back. Moreover, he cannot stand crying women, especially children, so he took pity with the little girl.

"Oi, Tae-chan, do you want me to draw your face?"

"Huh?" Tae sniffed and sobbed as she looked at the boy's smiling face.

"Look, I cannot draw a pretty picture of you if you keep on crying," said Gintoki as he wiped Tae's tears with his fingers. "You see, Tae-chan, if you cry, you will become ugly. Look at Aunt Otose," he whispered to the little girl. Both of them snickered.

"Here, drink this," Otose hands in a glass of water to Tae.

"Use this wet tissue to wipe your face. Girls look their prettiest when they smile, so Tae-chan, smile," the silver perm boy told the brown-haired little girl. Her face lit up, and her tears were replaced by a wide grin.

After a few minutes, Gintoki finished drawing Tae's portrait.

"Look!"

"Wow! It looks like me! You are very good, Gin-niichan!"

"Do you want to draw, too?"

"Um…" said Tae as she nodded her head.

Starting that day, Tae Shimura has always been seen clinging to Gintoki Sakata. Since then, the young lad has never felt lonely anymore.

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 **A/N:** I will post another update as soon as I can. Thank you for reading! Reviews will be highly appreciated! ;D


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** : Sorry for the long wait. I have been very busy with work and school. I'll update as soon as I'm done with my schoolwork. Enjoy! ;D

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Chapter 3

 **Love Starts with a Simple Crush**

Three days after the wedding, Tae and Shinpachi are in Gintoki's room. The Shimura siblings are busy drawing on a piece of paper using big crayons, while Gintoki is reading the latest issue of _Shounen_ _Jump_.

"Gin-niichan, I need to pee…" says Shinpachi.

"Okay, wait! Hang on, Pattsuan! Don't pee on my _Jump_ again!" Gintoki shouts as he rushes to carry the young boy to the bathroom.

After a few minutes, the two boys are back. "Thank you, Gin-niichan!" says little Shinpachi. Gintoki puts down the little boy on the bed.

"Gin-niichan, Oboro-niisan is leaving your house?" asks Tae.

"Yup. He's going back to Tohoku with his wife. That's where his work is…"

"So if you get married, you need to leave your house?"

"Well, it depends, but most of the time, yeah, couples have to live on their own."

"Ah! So if I marry Gin-niichan, we will leave your house and my house?"

Gin almost spits the strawberry milk he is drinking. "Arggghhh! Tae-chan, stop that already! You are a hundred years early to be asking that question. Kids like you should not be thinking about that stuff; I already told you."

"Okay… Uhm, Gin-niichan, do you have a crush?"

"Huh?!" Gintoki is startled by Tae's question that he violently rises from his bed. "Oi, oi, oi! What has gotten into your head, Tae-chan? Geez, you ask weird questions these days. I told you to stop watching those dramas Aunt Otose and Aunt Haruko are watching."

"But do you have a crush, Gin-niichan?"

"Oi, do you understand what you are talking about, girly?"

"Oryou-chan asked me yesterday if I have a crush. She told me crush is someone you like. I told her I like you, so you are my crush. Is that right, Gin-niichan?"

Gintoki rolls his eyes and lets out a heavy sigh. "There you go again. Is that what you learn in school? Ahhh… are we both reading too much shounen or shoujo manga? Oi, from now on, I will stop reading _Jump_ for you. We'll only read _Doraemon_ and _Chibi Maruko-chan_."

"Do you like me, Gin-niichan?"

"Of course! You are like a sister to me, and I like Shinpachi-kun, too."

"So Shinpachi and me are your crushes?"

Gintoki shuts his eyes tightly and lets out another heavy sigh. "Tae Shimura, I don't know what to do with you anymore!" The silver perm teenager pinches the cheeks of the brown-haired little girl who shrieks and retaliates with a kick on his stomach.

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 **A/N** : Once again, thank you for the favorites, follows, and reviews. :D Next chapter, we'll see Tae and everyone else grow up a little bit... ;D


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